


Retaliation

by lightherons



Series: Epiphany [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Episode: s02e17 A Dark Reflection, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Seelie Court
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-07 03:56:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,472
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11615379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lightherons/pseuds/lightherons
Summary: When Magnus tells the Seelie Queen about the Clave’s deception, she’s noticeably fazed. She avoids eye contact with everyone and - softly - speaks to her subjects about how best to decide the matter at hand.





	Retaliation

**Author's Note:**

> Actions, especially those in war, have consequences.

When Magnus tells the Seelie Queen about the Clave’s deception, she’s noticeably fazed. She avoids eye contact with everyone and - softly - speaks to her subjects about how best to decide the matter at hand. Her guise - that of a girl about the age of twenty-six - is meant to make them all a little less unsettled than her usual guise of a girl the age of twelve. She’s a woman readying for war rather than a child trying for peace. She, finally, stands and looks to her guards and nods, before looking back at the rest of the cabinet. “I wish to speak with the Nephilim, Alec Lightwood, to see if this is true for myself.”

Magnus wants to say that it’s not necessary - that it’s _just_ like the Clave to do something like this, but he holds back. Maybe because _he_ wants to hear Alec say it to the Queen’s face, to realize the consequences of his actions.

The Queen insists on summoning Alec immediately and she sends Magnus to do so, knowing it would put Alec at ease to have a familiar face leading the way. A _friendly_ one. He agrees to do so and leaves the Court to find Alec.

He finds the Shadowhunter in his office, hunched over a pile of paperwork and a ragged look in his eyes. Magnus knocks on the door and Alec’s head shoots up so quickly that Magnus is wondering - briefly - about whiplash. Alec’s eyes don’t settle immediately like Magnus is used to.

"What’s going on?” Alec asks, sounding so genuine that Magnus almost forgets why he’s there. Alec looks _different_.

“The Seelie Queen has summoned you and she sent me to retrieve you,” Magnus replies.

“Right now?” Alec stands. There’s a spot of blood on his shirt. If Magnus wasn’t so angry, he’d ask what happened. But he is, and he doesn’t. He nods, instead. Alec nods back and looks at the table. “Let me clean up.”

Magnus starts to wave his hand but Alec stops him.

“Don’t,” he says, “I got it.”

Magnus drops his arm to his side and watches Alec tidy up the desk, tucking papers into a drawer and locking it with a rune, placing books back on shelves. He’s stalling, obviously. Perhaps he doesn’t _want_  to face the Seelie Queen. Magnus doesn’t blame him, of course, the Queen is a terrifying sort.

Alec finishes the last locked drawer and straightens his jacket before looking at Magnus.

“Okay, I’m ready,” he tells him. Magnus takes him outside to open a portal. Alec doesn’t lean into his touch when he places a hand on his shoulder - or try to take his hand. He seems almost distracted, which isn’t a good sign.

When they’re finally back in the Seelie Realm, Magnus thinks to let go. He closes his eyes and sees the Queen’s guards in front of them. He watches Alec get checked for weapons and winces when he realizes they’re being intentionally rough with the Nephilim. Alec’s arm is grabbed and he’s hauled forward into the Queen’s chamber. She’s still in her adult guise, threatening. She’s not hiding who she is.

Magnus winces - again - when Alec is forced to his knees with two Seelie Knights standing next to him, keeping him there and preventing him from fighting back.

“Alexander Lightwood,” the Queen begins, standing in front of him. “You started the Downworld-Shadowhunter cabinet with the intent to bring peace to the Shadow World, correct?”

Alec nods, “Yes, of course, My Lady.”

"You promised us, complete transparency and honesty?”

Alec hesitates. “I did,” he responds.

“And yet, you allowed us to believe the Clave had the Soul Sword when it was in fact lost in the battle?”

Alec nods, looking away from the Queen. “I did,” he admits.

From his spot with the others, he can see her smile.

"I have said time and time again that the Nephilim can not be trusted. This one proves that by admitting to _lying_  to us! Conspiring to keep information that could destroy  _our_  lives. They have given us a message that our lives do not matter as much as keeping their appearances does.”

Magnus can’t help himself, he nods. It’s _exactly_  what Alec has done, whether the Shadowhunter realizes it or not.

“Well,” the Queen turns to look at Alec. “We’ll just have to send a message of our own.

She motions to the Knights and they pull Alec up, roughly. Magnus starts to go to him but Raphael holds him back, placing a hand on his chest.

"I consider this an act of war on the Downworld as do the rest of the Cabinet.”

Magnus bristles at being lumped in with her war on the Clave, however he doesn’t speak up. He, too, feels betrayed at their actions.

“The Nephilim will remain _here_ , as collateral, until the Clave can be trusted.”

“I can’t stay here, I’m needed back in New York, my Lady. If we’re to stop Valentine, then-”

“Enough,” the Queen cuts him off. “These are my demands. If you _truly_  desire peace, then you will stay here.”

Alec looks at Magnus, fear evident in his eyes. Magnus finds himself nodding, to reassure him, but Alec doesn’t look convinced.

“Meliorn, send a message to the Clave and tell them that they will start being honest with us, or I will send parts of Alexander Lightwood to them until they do.” She trails a hand up Alec’s neck.

Magnus steps forward, then, “My Lady, you-”

Her eyes snap over to him. “You were the one to tell me about the Soul Sword, Bane.”

Alec’s expression turns from fear, to denial, to anger. He looks at the Queen, “Please, you can’t. Valentine’s son is alive and I have to-”

She holds up a hand and he’s silenced, a vine coming up from the ground to wrap around his throat, choking him. A horrible noise escapes him as he struggles to breathe.

He can’t turn his head, but he looks back at Magnus again before closing his eyes and focusing on the ground.

Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance.

“I don’t care about Valentine or his son,” she snaps. “My people come first in my eyes. My realm comes first, and the Downworld is more than capable of taking care of itself. We do not need the Shadowhunters to win the war. We don’t need _you_.”

The vine seems to react to her words, choking Alec further.

“I lost many of my Knights because of _your_  war, I nearly lost my most trusted and most loyal Knight.” The vine tightens even more. “Your _parabatai_ ,” she spits out the word as if it’s poison, “killed many of my people. We are owed his life and more.”

Magnus shakes his head, “Enough!” He looks at Alec. “This will achieve nothing but the Clave’s wrath. They have far more in numbers - spread across the world. If you take one of their own, it _will_ be an act of war.”

She smiles and looks at Magnus. “Leave the room. I want to speak to the Nephilim alone.”

Magnus doesn’t want to, but Raphael takes his arm and leads him out. Magnus looks back in time to see the vine retreat back into the ground.

As soon as the door closes behind him, he hears a scream of pain. Alec’s scream.

He thinks about what he’s done and wonders if the anger was worth it. If telling the _Seelie Queen_ was worth it. If Alec’s _life_  was worth it.

The screams stop, eventually, and they’re allowed back inside.

Alec is gone, but there’s blood - Alec’s blood - on the ground and one of the Seelie is cleaning a spear - stained with blood.

“Where is Alexander?” Magnus asks.

“Put away, for now,” the Queen replies. “Now, we need to decide what to do about the Clave. We can discuss the Nephilim, later. He’s contained until we need him.”

Magnus looks at Luke who refuses to look at him. Magnus understands why, of course. Luke had _warned_  him.

“Alec is my boyfriend, I’d prefer to discuss him.”

The Queen sighs, placing her hands in front of her. “You brought this to our attention, Magnus, and for that we are all grateful, but you are trying my patience. We are all owed lives for the ones we lost during the attack on the New York Institute - one your boyfriend now runs. We deserve justice.” She straightens her back and looks at him in a different guise - older, wiser. “Besides, he has drank from my garden. His life belongs to _me_.”

Magnus thinks back to the screaming - and wonders if Alec drank voluntarily.

“I am declaring war on the Clave,” she says, rising to her feet. “And the war starts with this Nephilim’s death.”

Magnus, suddenly, feels like he may have made the wrong choice.

**Works inspired by this one:**

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